Magazine strip with fastening elements for use in a setting power tool

ABSTRACT

A magazine strip for use in a setting power tool includes a carrier strip ( 11 ) for carrying the fastening elements ( 20 ) and formed of a plurality of strip segments ( 12 ) each having a receptacle for a fastening element ( 20 ), and a corresponding plurality of pivot connections ( 14 ) provided between respective adjacent strip segments ( 12 ) for enabling a pivotal movement of the strip segments relative to each other, with pivot axes of the pivot connections extending coaxially with respective fastening elements ( 20 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a magazine strip for use in a setting power tool and including a plurality of fastening elements and a carrier strip for carrying the fastening elements and formed of a plurality of strip segments each having a receptacle for a fastening element.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Magazine strips of the type described above are used, e.g., in hand-held setting or drive-in power tools which can drive fastening elements carried by the magazine strip into a workpiece.

U.S. Patent Publication US 2003/0075466 discloses a magazine strip for fastening elements having a plurality of strip segments which are formed as guide and damping sleeves and which are connected with each other so that they form a chain. The strip segments are connected with each other by webs which have, in a direction perpendicular to the strip plane, a smaller width than the guide and damping sleeves. The smaller width of the material perpendicular to the strip plane provides for a certain elasticity and, therefore, flexibility of the magazine strip between two adjacent strip segments.

The drawback of the known magazine strip consists in that in certain magazines that are used in setting or drive-in tools, the strip has a small sidewise mobility.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a magazine strip with fastening elements having a high sidewise mobility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing, in the magazine strip, a plurality of pivot connections between respective adjacent strip segments for enabling a pivotal movement of the strip segments relative to each other, with pivot axes of the pivot connections extending coaxially with respective fastening elements (or their longitudinal axes).

The pivotal movement of the strip segments relative to each other about the pivot axes of the pivot connections provides for a high sidewise mobility of the magazine strip.

Advantageously, each fastening element connects two respective adjacent strip segments as chain elements so that each fastening element itself forms a pivot support axis. Further, forming magazine strip of a plurality of strip segments connected with each other by fastening elements, permits to produce a magazine strip of an arbitrary selected length.

Advantageously, each strip segment has a sleeve-shaped first section, a web-shaped second section projecting radially from the first section, and a third annular section arranged on the second section and a ring axis of which extends parallel to a cylinder axis of the first section and which axially lies outside of a radial projection of the first section. This formation of strip segments permits to easily produce them by the injection-molding technology.

The inventive multi-part carrier strip permits to achieve as good guide characteristics of the magazine strip as with a magazine strip formed as one-piece member when an annular fourth section is directly formed on an end of the first section remote from the third section, with the forth section having, at least in one region, a greater diameter than the first section. The greater diameter can be advantageously used for guiding the magazine strip in a magazine.

The guide characteristics of the magazine strip can be further improved when the third section has, in at least one region, a greater diameter than the first section.

The novel features of the present invention, which are considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional advantages and objects thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment, when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The drawings show:

FIG. 1 a perspective view of two segments of the inventive magazine strip;

FIG. 2 a side view of a magazine strip according to the present invention for fastening elements; and

FIG. 3 plan view of the magazine strip shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A magazine strip 10 according to the present invention for fastening elements, which is shown in FIGS. 1-3 completely or only partially, has a carrier strip 11 formed of a plurality of connected with each other, strip segments 12 is mounted. Preferably, the strip segments 12 are formed of a plastic material such as, e.g., polyethelene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS). Each of the strip segments 12 has a receptacle formed as a through-opening 13 in which a fastening element 20 is supported. As particularly shown in FIG. 1, the strip segment 12 has a sleeve-shaped first section 15, a web-shaped second section 16 that projects radially from the first section 15, and an annular third section 17 arranged on the second section 16. A ring axis R of the third section 17 extends parallel to the cylinder axis Z of the first section 15. The third section 17 is located axially outwardly of a radial projection of the first section 15. That is why, with the orientation shown in FIG. 1, the third section 17 is located lower than the first section 15. The third section 17 has, at least in one region, a greater diameter than the first section 15, and an outer circumference of the third section 17 is used as a guide profile. At an end of the first section 15 remote from the third section 17, there is provided an annular fourth section 18 formed directly on the first section 15. The fourth section 18 likewise has a greater diameter, at least in one region, than the first section 15, so that the outer circumference of the fourth section 18 also can be used as guide profile.

Adjacent strip segments 12 are pivotable relative to each other, with pivot axes of the pivot connections 14 between adjacent strip segments 12 extending coaxially with respect to corresponding fastening elements 20. As it can particularly be seen in FIG. 1, two respective adjacent strip segments 12 are connected by a respective fastening element 20 as chain elements. The cylindrical axis Z of the sleeve-shaped first section 15 of the strip segment 12 extends coaxially with the ring axis R of the third section 17 of an adjacent strip segment 12, so that a respective fastening element 20 extends through both the first sleeve-shaped first section 15 of one of the adjacent strip segments 12 and through the annular section 17 of another of the adjacent strip segments 12, connecting the two adjacent segments 12 with each other. The longitudinal axis of the fastening element 20 likewise extends coaxially with the cylindrical axis Z and ring axis R of respective adjacent strip segments 12. As particularly shown in FIG. 3, the inventive magazine strip 10 can pivot at pivot connections 14 about respective fastening elements 20 over an angle α that can amount maximum up to 170°.

Though the present invention was shown and described with references to the preferred embodiment, such is merely illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as a limitation thereof and various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore not intended that the present invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment or details thereof, and the present invention includes all variations and/or alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A magazine strip for use in a setting power tool, comprising a plurality of fastening elements (20); and a carrier strip (11) for carrying the fastening elements (20) and formed of a plurality of strip segments (12) each having a receptacle for a fastening element (20), and a corresponding plurality of pivot connections (14) provided between respective adjacent strip segments (12) for enabling a pivotal movement of the strip segments relative to each other, with pivot axes (Z) of the pivot connections extending coaxially with respective fastening elements (20).
 2. A magazine strip according to claim 1, wherein each fastening element (20) connects two respective adjacent strip segments (12) as chain elements.
 3. A magazine strip according to claim 1, wherein each strip segment (12) has a sleeve-shaped first section (15), a web-shaped second section (16) projecting radially from the first section (15), and a third annular section (17) arranged on the second section (16) and a ring axis (R) of which extends parallel to a cylinder axis (L) of the first section (15) and which axially lies outside of a radial projection of the first section (15).
 4. A magazine strip according to claim 1, wherein an annular fourth section (18) is directly formed on an end of the first section (15) remote from the third section (17), the fourth section (18) having, at least in one region a greater diameter than the first section (15).
 5. A magazine strip according to claim 1, wherein the third section (17) has, at least in one region, a greater diameter than the first section (15). 